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Facing Shi Qi's blank expression, Shang Sui cupped his face with one hand.

His long, slender fingers traced over Shi Qi's skin in a slow, measured rhythm; though the action wasn't inherently threatening, it made Shi Qi tremble uncontrollably.

'You are especially cute when you cry,' Shang Sui said, watching his guilty expression, 'especially when you cry and tell me you are going to die.'

Shi Qi: '...'

Shi Qi: 'Stop it, let what happened last night stay in last night.'

'But I cannot forget it, the way you couldn't stand and had to sit down—'

'Shang Sui!'

Shi Qi's face turned beet red; he tried to push him away, but the other man leaned into him like a dog.

With a sharp slap, Shi Qi's palm landed squarely on the side of Shang Sui's neck, accidentally brushing against a portion of his gland.

Striking an Alpha's gland was equivalent to a slap to the face.

Shi Qi froze for a full three seconds, panic-stricken: 'I really didn't mean it this time! I was just toying with you before, but I absolutely did not mean to do that now!'

Shang Sui's expression was unreadable as he asked, half-jokingly: 'Why are you committing domestic violence, Xiao Qi?'

As he spoke, he rubbed the side of his neck as if recalling the sensation, eventually breaking into a slow smile.

Shi Qi had never seen such a situation; looking at the face before him that was growing increasingly delighted, he found it deeply unsettling.

Thinking Shang Sui was laughing out of anger, he hardened his heart and said: 'How about you hit me back? Don't hold it in.'

Having this happen on the first day of their relationship made Shi Qi feel like he was bullying the other, and he couldn't help but feel terribly apologetic: 'You can hit my gland, or... hit my face, that works too.'

'Then turn around.'

It seemed he really was going to strike the gland.

Shi Qi had been sitting barefoot on the vanity; hearing this, he prepared to turn around, but Shang Sui said: 'Get down, step on my feet.'

Shi Qi hesitated for a moment before nimbly hopping down.

Afraid of making Shang Sui uncomfortable, he only rested his toes on the edge of the slippers, bracing his hands against the vanity and putting most of his weight on the counter.

Seeing Shi Qi obediently bracing himself against the counter, voluntarily exposing the back of his neck to his gaze, and even leaning forward slightly to make it easier for him, Shang Sui felt a stir.

Recalling how Lin Yan used to say Shi Qi had a fiery temper, Shang Sui reached out to stroke the Omega's slender neck.

Where was the fiery temper?

He was far too obedient, if anything.

Maintaining balance in this position was exhausting, and Shi Qi felt goosebumps rise under his touch, feeling as though a sword hung over his head, ready to fall at any moment: 'Stop touching, just hurry up.'

Shang Sui's fingers paused.

Instinct made Shi Qi tense his body; catching a glimpse of the scene in the mirror, he couldn't help but press his hands into the cold marble countertop.

It was fine.

It was just a strike to the gland; it wouldn't hurt that much.

But Shang Sui seemed to have a lot of strength...

While he was left hanging in suspense, Shang Sui said suddenly: 'Xiao Qi, aren't you curious about what happened after you fainted?'

Shi Qi was a bit dazed: 'Did you help me bathe?'

'That's right,' he said, 'but there was more. Want to guess?'

Smack—

As he spoke, Shang Sui gave his bottom a firm slap.

Shi Qi shuddered, his toes curling.

Having been struck in a place he hadn't prepared for, he turned his head around, his face burning with shame and disbelief.

'What are you doing!' Shi Qi was dizzy from his actions, 'Weren't you talking about something else? Why did you suddenly strike, and why did you hit my...'

They had agreed on the gland, so why the bottom!

But upon reflection, Shang Sui hadn't actually specified where he was going to strike.

Shi Qi felt like he was being teased, but since everything had been suggested by himself, he had no evidence to argue.

Shang Sui deliberately misinterpreted his meaning: 'What is it? Does it hurt? Let me rub it for you.'

Shi Qi bit his lower lip, his eyes wet, looking both awkward and aggrieved.

Thinking he was unhappy, Shang Sui picked him up from behind: 'Alright, no more teasing. Let's go have breakfast.'

This time, his hold was gentle, and he took care to avoid sensitive areas, smoothing Shi Qi's ruffled feathers: 'You haven't put on your slippers yet. I'll carry you to the bedside, and then I'll let you walk on your own.'

Shi Qi gave a muffled 'en'.

Only he knew that he wasn't angry, but rather...

After Shang Sui made that joke, he actually found himself wanting the other to rub or pat him.

It was one thing to like being touched, but why did he now enjoy every bit of physical contact?

He shook his head to discard the blush-inducing thought and brought the conversation back: 'After I fainted, what exactly did you do?'

Shang Sui didn't answer directly: 'So curious? Shall we do it again tonight?'

Shi Qi had a gut feeling it wouldn't be anything good: 'No.'

'Really?'

Seeing Shang Sui smiling at him, Shi Qi said warily: 'I'm not that curious.'

He expected a few more rounds of back-and-forth, but Shang Sui simply said: 'Fine then.'

'...'

Shi Qi hadn't cared much initially, but with Shang Sui uncharacteristically ending the banter, his curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

He vaguely remembered that before losing consciousness, Shang Sui had asked him something. He had been too exhausted at the time, and since he didn't mind anything the other did, he had nodded and happily drifted off.

But what exactly had Shang Sui done?

By the time he reached School, Shi Qi was still thinking about it from time to time.

Shang Sui dropped him off at the gate of A University before heading to Meiyan Academy for his own classes.

With the end of the term approaching, attendance for general courses had increased significantly. Many students were busy catching up on major-specific work, and the professor on stage turned a blind eye.

Shi Qi usually listened carefully, and his advantage showed now; he didn't have to cram like Lin Yan, who sat there looking pained while staring at his textbooks.

Since that time with Qi Jiang, he hadn't logged into his social media account for a long while.

Shi Qi was bored, and the moment he logged in, he saw that many people had tagged him. He looked closer and realized that someone had recorded him and Shang Sui singing during the Flower Day Festival in Qi Jiang.

However, it was quite dark at the time, and the person filming had been at a distance, so their faces weren't clearly visible; instead, the lighting had cast an ambiguous, indescribable atmosphere over them.

[It's too sweet, wuwuwu! It would have been perfect if there was a kiss at the end. Why didn't you kiss? Your eyes met, just kiss me to death!]

[Although I can't see their faces clearly, the vibe is totally like an idol drama. Is the person next to 1717177 a friend or a boyfriend?]

[It's a boyfriend! Some sisters asked on the scene that day!]

[It's a pity the video is a bit blurry. When will Xiao Qi show us the zookeeper's face?]

Shi Qi's gaze paused, lingering on that term.

Zookeeper?

Shang Sui?

[Secretly saying, the handsome guy with long hair and a wolf-cut is a teaching assistant at our school, everyone feel free to ship! Two faces that are truly well-matched.]

[Hug to the person above, I'm from the school across from yours! I saw the two of them getting out of a car at the school gate this morning, the handsome guy even helped 1717177 tidy his coat, so attentive.]

[Came to school together? It must have been very intense last night (yellow heart) (yellow heart) (yellow heart)]

[Our kitty has practiced dance, his flexibility is good, he can handle any style.]

'...'

Seeing them get more and more out of hand, Shi Qi liked the original video and felt grateful once again that Shang Sui didn't know his account.

He scrolled down and saw other comments.

[Hmph, if you two don't kiss, Matcha Stir-fry has her own ways to make you kiss.]

[Thanks to Matcha Stir-fry for the peerless meal, I stayed up all night reading it, it was so delicious.]

Shi Qi didn't understand what they were talking about, but feeling curious, he followed the discussion to the homepage of 'Matcha Stir-fry'.

The first post was marked with an 18+ emoji and a car emoji, with a link attached below.

@Matcha Stir-fry: [1717177 woke up in the morning with sore legs, but didn't know why.]

Shi Qi: '?'

How was that exactly the same as his situation this morning?

He clicked the link and read for a while, and only when the story started to get increasingly strange did he suddenly realize.

This was fanfiction about him and Shang Sui.

And it was explicit.

Because she didn't know Shang Sui's name, Matcha Stir-fry referred to him throughout as 'boyfriend'. As Shi Qi read, his eyes widened, finally understanding why '1717177' would have sore legs after spending a night with her 'boyfriend'.

So it could be done like that...

No.

Shang Sui wouldn't have actually done that to him, would he??

Combining this with Shang Sui's ambiguous words from the morning, Shi Qi increasingly felt that this fanfiction might have accidentally stumbled upon the truth.

Thinking about that scene for a moment, his face grew hot, and he finally slumped over his desk, motionless.

The bell rang for the end of class, and Lin Yan, as if hearing heavenly music, announced impatiently: 'That's it for today, the torture is over!'

This was the last class of the afternoon, and the students around them stood up one after another.

Seeing Shi Qi still slumped over his desk, Lin Yan urged: 'What are you doing? Like a hamster, class is over, let's go.'

Shi Qi gave an 'oh' and stood up slowly.

On the way, Lin Yan glanced at his phone and suddenly burst into laughter:

'Oh baby, you really know how to find thrills! I was wondering why you didn't say a word all class; turns out you were finding study materials for yourself.'

'Do you like Shang Sui that much? Why don't you pick an auspicious day and confess to him? I think he's interested in you too. Then we'll have textbooks in our left hand and practical experience in our right—that would be the real good life.'

'Hm?' Shi Qi, having listened to him ramble for a long time, asked confusedly, 'What are you talking about?'

'Hm?' Lin Yan was also confused, 'Wasn't it you who liked the post? The fried rice study materials by Matcha Stir-fry were recommended right to my homepage.'

Shi Qi froze.

He realized then that he had accidentally liked the post by Matcha Stir-fry.

Shi Qi: '...'

He wanted to unlike it, but the system refreshed automatically, and a new post from Matcha Stir-fry popped up:

[Oh my god, baby liked my post!]

[Wuwuwu, Xiao Qi, Mom loves you!! Mom will work even harder on the cooking!!]

Shi Qi's fingers paused.

What to do.

Unliking it now would probably make her very disappointed.

Shi Qi could only bite the bullet and keep the like, comforting himself that Shang Sui wouldn't see it anyway.

Lin Yan said with a laugh: 'Don't say, Matcha Stir-fry's work is truly fluid and masterful, quite high quality. I'll go back and study it carefully tonight.'

Just as Shi Qi was about to tell him that he and Shang Sui had confirmed their relationship, someone nearby called out his and Lin Yan's names.

Shi Qi turned and saw Qin Shuhe waving, with Shang Sui standing to the side, looking down at his phone.

Shang Sui was looking at it with intense focus, a faint smile on his lips; he seemed very happy. Shi Qi couldn't help but cast a glance, wanting to see clearly what he was doing.

However, the distance was too great, and he couldn't see anything.

Shang Sui, however, looked up at that moment, and their eyes met.

Shi Qi felt a strange sense of guilt, as if he'd been caught, and abruptly looked away.

A moment later, feeling his reaction had been too abrupt, he took the initiative to ask: 'Why are you guys here?'

It wouldn't be.

His account had always been kept well-hidden; Shang Sui knew nothing.

More than that, he wanted to know if Shang Sui had actually done that thing.

Qin Shuhe didn't notice Shi Qi's abnormality and said casually: 'Lin Yan and I were planning to go online, and we just happened to run into Brother, so we all came over together.'

Lin Yan: 'Work-life balance. If I study thermodynamics for one more minute, I'm going to set the Earth on fire.'

He then asked Shi Qi: 'Are you going online?'

Shi Qi, thinking of Matcha Stir-fry's masterpiece and feeling the lingering soreness in his legs, had his mind full of how to interrogate Shang Sui: 'I'm not going.'

Qin Shuhe said regretfully: 'It's been so long since I've experienced the joy of being carried by you.'

Shi Qi didn't look up: 'What a coincidence, it's been a long time since I've experienced the pain of being dragged down by you.'

Qin Shuhe: '...'

Shang Sui smiled and interjected: 'Xiao Qi, look at your phone.'

Qin Shuhe immediately shouted: 'What's going on! Do you two have little secrets you can't tell us?'

Shi Qi suddenly said: 'Shang Sui and I are dating.'

Lin Yan turned his head abruptly. He looked at Shang Sui, then at Shi Qi, and relying on their years of tacit understanding, gave Shi Qi a look: You're really together, not a fake couple?

Shi Qi nodded.

Lin Yan's expression shifted through a thousand emotions, finally settling into a look of relief as he gave him a thumbs up.

Qin Shuhe didn't hear anything wrong: 'Weren't you guys already dating?'

'Yes, but that doesn't stop me from informing you again today.'

'?' Qin Shuhe was confused for a moment, then chose to comply: 'As you wish.'

A thought struck him, and he suddenly understood why Shi Qi brought this up: 'I understand, you and the Empress are communicating secrets via phone, and it's not my place to gossip.'

Everyone laughed, and Shi Qi took the opportunity to open his phone. He looked down, and his smile froze instantly.

He didn't need to interrogate him; the other party had already confessed.

Ss: [Screenshot]

Ss: [Xiao Qi is so smart, you've discovered the truth ^^]

Ss: [Let's try it when you're awake next time.]

Shi Qi: '............'

Shi Qi was so startled he nearly dropped his phone.

On the screenshot Shang Sui sent, the account '1717177' had liked Matcha Stir-fry's work.

A storm of various thoughts crashed into his mind, and Shi Qi typed out a line mechanically.

1717177: [How long have you known?]

Even through the screen, one could feel the breakdown happening inside Shi Qi.

Qin Shuhe didn't notice the undercurrents between them: 'By the way, Brother, I heard there's an exhibition during the New Year, and Old Xie wants you to participate?'

Large-scale art events held in the Capital City were more or less related to Meiyan Academy, and this art show was no exception; it was co-curated by an International Art Festival and Meiyan Academy, covering everything from installation art and sculpture to photography and painting.

Logically speaking, Shang Sui was only a teaching assistant and too young to have the qualifications to represent the department, but none of the other professors had any objections.

Qin Shuhe thought it was because his brother's professional standards were solid, and everyone was convinced by his ability.

Shang Sui nodded, and Qin Shuhe asked: 'Do you have any paintings ready?'

Shang Sui glanced at Shi Qi: 'I do.'

Shi Qi looked as if he could barely hold onto his phone. Shang Sui remained calm and typed a reply.

Ss: [After our date at the Amusement Park, I accidentally discovered your account.]

Ss: [Because I didn't want to be intrusive, I didn't mention it. Xiao Qi won't blame me, will you ^^]

Shi Qi looked at his reply, thinking for the first time that he was far too considerate, which made this social death arrive so unexpectedly.

If he had known Shang Sui would look, he would have made sure everyone was careful with their words, at least not to make dirty jokes.

Shi Qi felt a sense of desolation and struggled in vain.

1717177: [Then do you read everyone's comments?]

Shang Sui went straight for the jugular.

Ss: [The intense one? Or the one about flexibility?]

Qin Shuhe finally noticed something was wrong: 'Shi Qi, what's wrong? Why is your expression so strange?'

Lin Yan sensed something: 'Do you want to eat ice cream?'

'Huh? In the middle of winter...'

Lin Yan dragged Qin Shuhe away: 'Eating ice cream in winter is the greatest respect you can show it.'

After they left, Shi Qi felt even more awkward, but Shang Sui acted like nothing happened and swiped on his phone: 'Actually, I like this one better.'

On his phone was the homepage of Matcha Stir-fry, but it wasn't the post Shi Qi had looked at today.

This new fanfiction continued the style of Matcha Stir-fry: concise, straightforward, and pornographic.

@Matcha Stir-fry: [Cat-eared white silk Maid Outfit.]

Shi Qi's face grew hot: 'In your dreams! It would be more like you wearing it for me.'

Shang Sui smiled at him: 'That wouldn't be very appropriate, Master.'

Shi Qi: '...'

I think you're enjoying yourself quite a bit.

Shi Qi was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but ask: 'So you really used my legs...?'

Shang Sui seemed to think the stimulation wasn't enough: 'En, twice.'

Shi Qi was quiet for a moment before he could be sure he hadn't misheard.

He finally knew why his legs were so sore, and asked in disbelief: 'Do you not sleep in the middle of the night??'

'I didn't intend to at first,' Shang Sui answered the question with another, 'but later in the bathroom, you kicked me.'

Shi Qi: '?'

Did I kick you into excitement?

Shang Sui smiled and leaned close to his ear, whispering something.

Shi Qi froze for a full half-minute, his small face turning red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

How did it have to be that spot...

'Then, does it hurt?'

Shang Sui was stunned for a moment, then laughed again: 'It doesn't hurt, your movements were very light.'

Shi Qi bit his lower lip without a word.

'You don't mind, right? Baby,' Shang Sui said softly, 'you are too cute, I couldn't help myself.'

He looked at Shi Qi, his gaze lingering and gentle.

Shang Sui wasn't lying.

Even now, those fox-like eyes were filled with infatuation.

Shi Qi's heart raced, his fingers clenching and then relaxing.

'...I want to eat ice cream,' Shi Qi said expressionlessly, 'to cool off.'

Shang Sui was amused by him and ruffled his hair.

Once at the gelato shop, Shi Qi scanned the various colorful flavors and chose without hesitation: 'I want honey vanilla.'

Seeing his retaliatory intent, Shang Sui laughed again.

In the gap while the clerk scooped the ice cream, Shang Sui asked softly: 'Are you going to eat me?'

Shi Qi retorted: 'Why, can't I eat you?'

Having had so many strange things done to him while unconscious, although he didn't mind, he still felt a bit embarrassed.

Lin Yan, holding his chocolate ice cream, looked like he couldn't bear to listen anymore: 'Public place, mind the influence.'

Shi Qi: '?'

Shi Qi stuck out his tongue and licked a small bit of the ice cream.

The taste of honey melted on his tongue, mixed with vanilla seeds; it was his favorite flavor.

Despite the cold ice cream in his mouth, the thought of last night made Shi Qi's face feel like it was burning, and even his mouth felt hot.

He still remembered the taste of kissing Shang Sui, and the sweetness of honey seemed to linger in his mouth.

Compared to that sweet and fragrant taste, the ice cream in his hand seemed to pale in comparison.

Shi Qi couldn't help but lick his teeth.

He ate the ice cream slowly, then suddenly thought of something and called to Shang Sui: 'Come here.'

The Alpha leaned in obediently. Shi Qi took the opportunity to hold his phone up high—click.

He had only intended to photograph Shang Sui, but because the distance was too close, he accidentally caught himself in the frame.

In the photo, both he and Shang Sui were in profile, looking at each other across the cream-yellow ice cream decorated with cookies and chocolate to look like a bear.

Shang Sui looked down at him, his eyes slightly curved; the tear mole at the corner of his eye was visible from this side, making his lush, vibrant face even more moving.

He himself was biting the ice cream, looking up at Shang Sui.

Unexpectedly, this candid photo was even more vivid than he had imagined.

Shi Qi had originally wanted to crop himself out, but in the end, he decided to use the original photo.

Shang Sui realized something and asked jokingly: 'Am I finally getting a title?'

Shi Qi lifted his chin, first typing 'My', and though he wanted to follow it with 'boyfriend', he changed his mind at the last moment.

Compared to 'boyfriend', this title seemed to imply a sense of being stuck together for a lifetime.

He typed the last two characters and posted the photo:

@1717177: [My zookeeper.]